Nearly eight months after I shared FloatTube here, here’s where the project is today
Hi everyone, As a small thank you to the community, FloatTube is available for $1.99 for a limited time. The Chrome version is available for free, with some platform-specific differences. You can find a detailed comparison on the website.…
A concise extract from the original post, kept together with the community response below.
“Hi everyone,
As a small thank you to the community, FloatTube is available for $1.99 for a limited time. The Chrome version is available for free, with some platform-specific differences. You can find a detailed comparison on the website.…”Hi everyone,
As a small thank you to the community, FloatTube is available for $1.99 for a limited time. The Chrome version is available for free, with some platform-specific differences. You can find a detailed comparison on the website.
Nearly eight months ago, I shared FloatTube, a browser extension for Safari, here. I want to thank everyone in r/macapps who tried it, shared feedback, and helped the project grow.
Problem
FloatTube was created to improve the Safari browser video watching experience. Instead of switching between watching a video and browsing comments or page content, it lets you keep the video visible while continuing to use the page.
Comparison
Compared with YouTube’s built-in mini player, FloatTube provides a resizable in-page floating player that can be freely moved and adjusted, including trackpad gesture support on Mac.
Compared with standard browser Picture-in-Picture, FloatTube adds automatic PiP options when switching browser tabs or apps, and can keep YouTube subtitles visible in the PiP window.
Pricing
FloatTube for Safari is available on the Mac App Store as a one-time purchase. The current limited-time price is $1.99 (regular price $2.99).
The Chrome version is available for free, with some platform-specific differences compared with the Safari version.
Current development
Since then, FloatTube has evolved from a YouTube-focused Safari extension into a smoother video browsing experience:
• Watch videos while browsing comments and page content
• Automatically enter Picture-in-Picture when switching apps or browser tabs
• Enhanced PiP with YouTube subtitles
For the next stage, I’m experimenting with support for more websites, starting with Netflix and Bilibili.
I’m taking a whitelist-based approach rather than trying to support every website, so each integration can remain isolated and stable. These new integrations are still experimental and may need adjustments as websites change.
I’d love to hear your feedback and ideas. While I can’t promise support for every platform, I’ll keep exploring where FloatTube can improve the viewing experience.
I’ll also send a few Safari codes to people who share meaningful feedback.
Mac App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6755630162
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FloatTube — by 非 吴 Ratings: 0 (no ratings yet) · 2 reviews Average: n/a ★ Age: released ~8 months ago · rated 17+ Overall score: 0 / 100
Maybe add an option for a semi transparent overlay background - would help for a focus mode
Thanks for the suggestion! I can see the value of a focus mode with an optional overlay. It’s a different direction from the current FloatTube experience, but I’ll consider whether this could be a useful addition in the future. I’d also be happy to send you a Safari code if you’d like to try FloatTube. Feel free to DM me.
Is the PiP player compatible with ad blocker web browser extensions?
Hey this is great, may I ask how it compares to the current PIP solutions?
This would be amazing if it could support generic video players. I'm often on eLearning sites and it would be great to PiP their video player.
For the Safari version, compatibility with ad blocker extensions is generally very good. FloatTube is designed without heavily modifying the YouTube page or relying on complicated workarounds, so compatibility issues are uncommon. If you find any compatibility issues with a specific extension, feel free to let me know and I’ll take a look.
Thanks! Compared with the standard PiP experience, FloatTube mainly adds a few extra features: 1 Automatic Picture-in-Picture: you can enable it in settings and choose when it should be triggered, such as switching tabs or leaving the page. 2 YouTube subtitles are displayed directly on top of the PiP window by default, which usually isn’t available when entering PiP through the browser’s built-in right-click menu. The goal is to make PiP feel more seamless for everyday watching.
Thanks for the suggestion! FloatTube started as a YouTube-focused extension, and I’m still exploring how to make broader support possible. The challenge is that every video platform and embedded player works quite differently, so a generic solution can easily become fragile. For now, I’m taking a whitelist-based approach so supported websites can have a more reliable experience, while keeping broader compatibility in mind. If you’re interested in trying FloatTube, feel free to DM me and I can send you a Safari ver code.
Oh! Thats super cool! can you change the size and position of the window?